Actually from the beginning of the site visit, I really don’t know what program to propose for this site. The site seems to be occupied with commercial activities and business while losing all the living traces. This is what the site look like from the outside. However, through observation on several visits, especially during the early morning visit, I realize there are still local living among the place.
During our visit to the site, we park our car in front of the Nan Kai Primary School at Persiaran Raja Chulan (free parking), and walk down from the staircase beside Angkasa Impian and Blue Boy Mansion which leads us to Jalan Tong Shin. There is a row of abandoned shop lots on the right, with several stalls at the junction. These stalls open during the different period of time. In the morning, there will be an aunty selling pork at the corridor with her portable stall, while some other local aunty will gather there to buy pork from her and chit chatting around. There is another stall sellings hot drinks such as coffee and tea operate by an old couple seems popular among the locals too. The mixed rice stall and fruit stall will open at about 11am, prepare for the lunch crowds from Hospital Tong Shin and offices nearby. There is one stall which I personally feel its a bit out of place, which is a “cafe style” stall selling red velvet and carrot cake. After the mixed rice stall and fruits stall closed, another uncle selling soy milk and cincau will open his stall until evening. On the other side of the junction facing Tengkat Tong Shin, the famous Ngau Kee beef noodles will start to operate from 6pm to 4am (they used to operate 24 hours). There is another stall located in the alley opposite to the beef noodle stall selling charcoaled fried noodles starting at 7pm till late night. I see the pattern of living at this junction, most of the stall cater the daily need of the neighbourhood nearby with affordable price (I could say the mixed rice’s price is really cheap).
After a few considerations, I think a market is something missing in this area and that’s something the neighbourhood need. Even the area is surrounded with the high-end restaurant and bars, there should be a place for affordable food and fresh ingredient supplier to serve the local needs, just like those food stalls and the mini market at the back lane. Among the topic discussed and proposed last week, I decided to have the wet market as my design thesis topic.
The news finding showed the “moving history” of Bukit Bintang market, whereby the relocation of the market is further and further from Bukit Ceylon and Alor Enclave, and the local slowly lost their fresh food supplier by walking distance.
Historically, the wet market which is also known as Pasar Baru Bukit Bintang has moved several times to make way for the rapid development around the area. About 60 years ago, the market was at Bukit Bintang where Fahrenheit 88 (the old KL Plaza) is currently located. When that plot of land was developed into KL Plaza, it moved to where Lot 10 is now located. Later about 30 years ago, it shifted to the current premises at Jalan Melati, Imbi.
[Lee Khang Yi, Last chance to eat and shop at Imbi market before it closes end March – (25th March 2016) http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/last-chance-to-eat-and-shop-at-imbi-market-before-it-closes-end-march]
The new market shall be included with the function of market, food stall, communal kitchen and waste management facilities. After the site visits, I realized waste management is a critical issue at the Alor enclave. The area is surrounded by eateries and business that produce a lot of waste whereby the collection point is limited. According to Mr.Azahar from DBKL, the excess waste had caused over populated mouse issue at the area and might lead to rapid disease spreading.
Am spending a lot more time to research about the way to incorporate the market into waste management, while maintaining it as a hub of community living.
Architecture Design Thesis 